Increment control name using a loop??

[zippy483]

HI All

I have a problen I would like to resolve?

I am relatively new to Visual basic, so please bare with me,

I have a number of controls on a form all off which are simple shapes, that I would like to change the fill colour on incrementaly, in the manner of an LED bar display.

So I have Shape1, Shape2, Shape3........ Shape10

how would i go about incrementing the shape names that is how do I replace the numbers in the above example with a variable I can increment?

Many thanks for your help

zippy483

[Merri]

You can create a control array. Select Shape1. Rename it to something, Sheep for example. Then look at Index property. Write 0. Now you have created a control array! If you rename any other shapes to Sheep, they then get a new Index number of their own.

After this you have Sheep(0), Sheep(1), Sheep(2), Sheep(3) ... Sheep(9).


You can search the FAQ forum for more information about control arrays.

[MarkT]

A control array is the best way to do it but you can also get away with using the controls collection to access the shape properties. This is using a loop to change all the controls at once but you get the idea.

Private Sub Command1_Click()
Dim ctl As Control
Dim i As Integer

    For i = 1 To 5
        Set ctl = Controls("Shape" & i)
        ctl.FillStyle = vbFSSolid
        ctl.FillColor = vbRed
        Set ctl = Nothing
    Next i
End Sub

[zippy483]

Done that using a control array as suggested and appears to work ok

but i need to insert a pause such that

I get the following effect

Start Loop
Change attribute
Pause
Loop Back

I have tried using the sleep function within the loop but it doesn't appear to do what I want

what i am trying to achieve is a virtual scrolling led bar (a la knight rider )

[akhileshbc]

You can use a Timer control to perform the operation at specific intervals(that makes a delay)...

[zippy483]

How is that achieved, like this

Start Loop
Change attribute
Timer
Loop Back

How do I assess when the timer has elapsed

i assume I start the time with Timer1.Enabled = True but how do I evaluate when the interval has passed

[Merri]

You have it all in a Timer. Here is a sample project, the same idea works with shapes too:

1) Start a new project
2) Add a Timer
3) Paste the following code:

Option Explicit

Private Sub Form_Load()
    Timer1.Interval = 200
End Sub

Private Sub Timer1_Timer()
    ' remember this string each time
    Static LED As String * 10
    ' is the first character other than NULL
    If AscW(LED) Then
        ' initialized: move last character to be the first
        Mid$(LED, 1, 10) = Right$(LED, 1) & Left$(LED, 9)
    Else
        ' first time
        LED = "1000000000"
    End If
    ' update caption
    Me.Caption = LED
End Sub

So the Timer code is self-contained, it just keeps working until it is stopped by setting Interval = 0.